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(No Model.)

S. B. WORT-MANN. MECHANICAL MOVEMENT.

No. 461,994. Patented Oct. 2'7, 1891.

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' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SIGISMUN D ll. VVORTMANN, OF NE\V YORK, H. Y.

MECHANICAL MOVEMENT.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 461,994, dated October27', 1891..

w Application filed June 18, 1891. Serial No. 396,694. No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, SIGISMUND B. WORT- MANN, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of NewYork, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in MechanicalMovements; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear,and exact description of the invention, such as will enable othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in mechanical movements of thecharacter dis closed in a prior United States application, filed by meon the 26th day of March, 1891, Serial No. 386,501; and the object ofthe present improvement is to obviate the liability of the springbreaking during its reaction or uncoiling, to facilitate the operationof putting the spring under tension, and to improve thegeneral'efficiency of the movement.

In adapting a spring-motor to the propulsion of a sewing-machine,phonograph, or for other purposes where the spring is liable to uncoilrapidly, there is a tendency to break or injure the spring; but Iovercome this ob j ection by combining an automatically-operatingclutchwith a loose wheel forming a part of the differential gear between thespring axle or shaft and a counter-shaft, all as will be hereinaftermore fully described and claimed.

I have illustrated my improved movement in the accompanying drawings, inwhich- Figure 1 is a plan View; Fig. 2, a vertical longitudinalsectional view on the plane indioatedby the dotted line a: m of Fig. 1,and Fig. 3 is a detail view on the line 1 y of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, in which like letters and figures ofreference denote correspondin g parts in all the figures, A designatesthe spring axle or shaft, and B the countershaft. O is the spring-drumloosely mounted on the shaft; D, the spring arranged within the dru mand having one end fastened or secured to the drum 0 and the other endto the spring axle or shaft, and E the differential transmitting-gear,all arranged substantially as shown shaft to turn thereon and the othertwo wheels are rigid with or fastened to the counter-shaft. The loosewheels 1 3 are arranged side by side on the springaxle, and one of saidwheels ened or secured thereto in any desired manner. The transmittingor compound pinion 2 4 meshes with the wheels 1 3, and said compoundpinion maybe made in separate parts, one part 2 meshing directly withthe wheel 1 on the spring-drum and the other.part 4 meshing with thewheel 3. The loose wheels 1 3 are of different diameters, the onesmaller than the other, and the compound gear or pinion 2 4 has its.parts likewise of different diameters. I

In lieu of having the wheels of the differential gear mesh directlytogether, I may use equivalent gearing, such as sprocket wheels andchains or pulleys and belts, or other forms of gearing.

F designates the automatieelutch, which is keyed or feathered to thespring axle or shaft at one side of the loose gear 3, and said gear hasa serrated or toothed hub f on one side of the same. The clutch has theserrations or teeth f formed on the end thereof contiguous to theserrated hubf of the loose gear Wheel,

hub of the loose wheel the latter is clutched or fastened rigidly withthe shaft, so as to turn or rotate with the spring axle or shaft whenthe latter is rotated. The clutch is normally pressed into engagementwith the serrated hub of the loose gear-wheel by means of a coiledspring II, fitted loosely on the spring axle or shaft between the end ofthe clutch and one of the hearings or supports for the axle, orequivalentmeans may be used to hold the clutch in engagement with theloose wheel and to permit the clutch to be disengaged automatically whenthe spring is uncoiling too rapidly, and thus release the drum anddifferential gearing from axle A.

If desired, I may provide the two ratchetwheels I J, (shown in Figs. 1and 3,) to be used for placing the spring under tension by a few turnsof either the spring axle or drum. One of these ratchet-wheels I isrigidly secured to the outside of the spring-drum, and .the other wheelJ is secured directly to the spring axle or shaft. The teeth of theratchet wheel I are inclined or arranged reversely to and when theclutch F is engaged with the 1 is rigid with the spring-drum B, beingfast-' ICC the teeth of the other ratchet J, and with the ratchet I apawl I is adapted to engage, while a pawl J is adapted to engage withthe ratchet-wheel J, both pawls being pivoted loosely on a fixed pin orstud j, secured to a part of the frame or one of the bearings of thespring axle or shaft.

This being the construction of my improved movement the operation may bedescribed as follows: To wind the spring from the spring axle or shafta-crank-disk or crank may be secured to the shaft, and as it is turnedby hand the clutch causes the loose wheel to turn I with the shaft,which loose wheel in turn rotates the counter-shaft and the latterrotates the wheel I and the drum B, thus winding the spring from the topor outer side thereof by the rotation of the drum, which is loose on theshaft. To wind the spring on the inner side thereof and directly fromthe spring axle or shaft, the pawl I is thrown into engagement with theratchet-wheel I on the drum,

' to which itis attached,but it operates through the drum, thedifferential gear, and the clutch to rotate the spring axle or shaft.The clutch is held by its spring in engagement with the loose wheel 3,so as to cause said wheel to rotate the spring axle or shaft during thetime that the reacting force of the spring is exerted on the drum anddifferential gear, or until the parts attain such momentum or velocityas to overcome the tension of the spring; but when the force of thespring has spent itself and the parts are still revolving rapidly, owingto the momentum acquired during the time when the spring influenced thedrum and differential gear, the clutch is automatically thrown or forcedout of gear, thus freeing the loose wheel 3 and the spring-drum from thespring axle or shaft while the parts are in motion. As the clutch isdisengaged from the loose wheel and the spring is thereby freed from theshaft to such an extent as to cease operating the same, it is evidentthat the spring will not be injured while the parts are revolving, whichis very important.

By the employment of the differential gearing in connection with thespring and arranging the same between the spring, the countershaft, andthe spring axle or shaft, I am enabled to multiply or increase thenumber of revolutions of the axle or shaft as compared with the numberof turns required to place the spring under tension.

The crank wheel or disk can be applied to i the end of the counter-shaftto rotate the latter, the differential gear, and the spring and its drumin the manner heretofore described; but should it be desired to wind thespring direct from the axle or shaft, the pawl J should be engaged withthe ratchet J on the spring axle or shaft. It should be understood thatthe clutch does not engage with the loose wheel 3 when the parts arerotated to wind the spring direct from the shaft or axle A, as theserrated hub fslips past the serrations on the hub when the wheel 3 isturned.

The spring can be wound up from the counter-shaft by adjusting the pawlJ to engage with its corresponding ratchet-wheel J and disengaging thepawl I from its ratchet I, after which the crank or disk on thecountershaft can be turned and rotate the gears 1 3, the drum, and thespring, the shaft or axle being held stationary and the clutch slippingclear of the teeth or serrations in the hub f of the loose gear. Thepawl I can remain at all times in engagement with the ratchet I, (exceptwhen the counter-shaft is rotated by the crank or disk to wind thespring,) as the beak of the pawl is automatically thrown out ofengagement with the teeth of the ratchet when the spring unwinds torotate the drum, its attached ratchet, the differential gearing, and thespring axle or drum.

If desired, a spring or equivalent detent may be employed to prevent thepawl I from flying back too far and thereby be thrown out of operativeposition.

I would have it understood that I do'not deem it essential to employ thetwo ratchets and check-pawls I I and J J, as they can be dispensed withaltogether; but I prefer toillustrate and describe the same, as theyen'- able me to have better control of the spring.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is 1. Thecombination of an axle, a springdrum, a spring, the differentialgearing, having its two primary wheels 1 3 loose on the axle and one ofsaid primary wheels'l rigid with the spring-drum, and anautomatic'clutch keyed to the axle to normally engage with the primarywheel 3 of said differential gearing, all combined and arranged forservicessubstantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination of an axle, a spring, a spring-drum loose onsaidaxle, the differential gear-Wheels l 3 loose on the axle-, one ofsaid wheels being rigid'with the spring -drum and the other wheel havinga serrated hub, 21.

countershaft carrying gear-wheels which mesh with said wheels 1 3,andaspring-actuated clutch keyed to the axle to engage with the hub of thegear-wheel 3, substantially as and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

SIGISMUND B. VVORTMANN.

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